Nightshifters

[gtoko]

Hello all,

I am starting nights next week. 7p-7a. I am not a night person, but it was the only job available,so I accepted. I am worried about how I am going to do nights. I am a new,middle-aged nurse with 2 kids. I am usually in bed by 10 pm every night. I am being ridiculous by thinking I can get used to nights?

Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated. I am so discouraged and feeling hopeless right now. I am not a quitter but I do know my limits. Was I wrong for accepting this type of position?

Thanks in advance for advice :)

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

5 years of nights made me appreciate days.

Doing days now, makes me miss nights.

Face it folks, every shift has issues--it's always in the perspective..take the tips well and look at the best side of it all.

Be safe and good luck!

[NightOwl0624]

You can get all kinds of advice, but everyone is different and what works for some may not work for you - as to the sleep schedules, anyway. I like to sleep as soon as I get home, and I do transition myself back on to days when I'm off for more than one night in a row. It works well for me.

But it is important that you firmly set aside time to sleep and eliminate all potential interruptions. I have found that some "day" people are sometimes inconsiderate when it comes to us night shifters. People forget that you do have to sleep!

The most important advice I can give you is this: YOU can do this! Go in with a positve attitude! Give it a chance, you may just love it!

[caliotter3]

There are plenty of threads with tips on how to deal with working nights, so I won't go into that. Just wanted to say that you should consider yourself very luck to get a job. Now the trick is to make this work in your favor. You know it won't be easy but you have to prevail to help your family. Your goal now should be to learn as much as possible, survive to get each paycheck, and get your next job on a more reasonable shift. Apply for everything. Part time here, fill in there, home health shift around the corner. Everything. Eventually you will get your foot in the door, then you can ease your way off the night shift. And do not discount being able to change shifts at this job. That just might come about if you work hard at it. Good luck and congratulations on landing a job.

[CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN]

Very nice threads on Night shift Tips:

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/sleepless-night-shift-70450.html

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/adjusting-night-shift-233148.html

[bagladyrn, RN]

Thank you for your advice. I am trying to get in the mindset that I can do this. I have to do it. Please say a prayer for me and again, thank you:redbeathe

You may find that once you adapt to the new sleep pattern you enjoy it. I found that I actually had more time with my school age kids when on nights. I slept while they were in school and was having my coffee when they came home - available for talk, homework help or a pickup after an afterschool activity. Most of the time I was absent they were asleep. If you work days 12 hr shifts you generally don't get home until close to bedtime.

[gtoko]

Thanks everyone, that is why I love this site. Real advice from nurses that have been there. I will keep posting updates.

[DalmatiaRN]

All of the tips listed are excellent, used many of them myself (especially the fan).

One thing I noticed from working nights was my mood. I was rather short and snippy with people and that just made things more difficult for all of us. Being aware of it though made me more tolerable, so my advice is to try to be aware of how it affects you and knowing that you are grumpy because you are tired and not because your husband/dog/kid did something puts things into perspective. Good luck and give yourself time to adjust, eventually you will figure out what works best for you.